Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1887-10-17
STAINS ORIGINAL COrFEssIoN.

NoRRIDGEwOCK, Get. I6.
The Journal man hearing that the original
had not appeared in the World. but instead a
botched and patched up yarn spun from .
| few points which were given to the World
reporter. and from which his highly educated
imagination wrough. out the sensational ar,i-
Gle purporting to be q confession, obtained q
copy of the genuine confession, which is as
follows:
My father, David L. Stain, Oliver Crom-
we'll, alias Smith. Billy Scott and myself,
started from Medfeld, Mass, some tine in
August, 1873. We took our own team and
drove to Boston. We had fine marc named
Flora. We took the Star of the East steam
er and came to Gardiner, Me. We arrived
in the morning and took breakfast at board.
ing house with the sign ''boarding house" on
it. There was a bowling alley connected
with the house. We drove to Wsterville
and took dinner at restaurant en- the right
hand side, think, from the williams house,
and baited the horse at stable opposite the
Continental house. We came to Skowhe-
gan; left them on Madison street; don't
to go to Bingham to wait for them. went
there and stayed two days and half They
came to Bingham about eleven o'clock in the
forenoon. We all took dinner there, and
then we started for Gardiner. We baited
our horse at Waterville, opposite the Cont
mental house, and bought crackers and cheese
for our luncheon. We bought them in Skow-
hogan. We had light two-seated wagon.
We went TO Augusta and stopped at the Far
mers Hotel, short distance from the citv
We arrived there in the morning and took
breakfast there. Father booked our names.
| think we stayed until about eleven o'clock,
then went to Gardiner and took the steamer
Star of the East, and went to Boston, and |
drove home (Medfeld) with our team and
they took the cars. l heard them talking
about Dexter and the two banks nearly all of
the time we were riding along. The names
of Barron and Curtis were mentioned a great
many times, but heard them speak of Bar
ron the most. Father had on false chin
whiskers as also did Scott but Cromwell
Smith was not disguised at all while | saw
him.
We left home (Medfeld), David L. Stain,
Cromwell Smith, Billy Scott and mvself, |
think, about the last of November, 1878. We
had horse named Star, bay horse with
white star in his face on his forehead. We
drove to Boston and took the steamer Star of
the East and came to Gardiner. We went to
the same boarding house and took dinner and
went to KendalPs Mill, now Fairfield We
arrived there in the morning and took lunch
at restaurant, but put the horse up at the
hotel We went across the bridge. We
went through Bennett and Clinton. J think
and some more villages. We arrived at Dex-
ter about 8 80. Father said Boys, we
will stop here, this is the best place." He
told me to go to Bingham but not to stop
there, but 90 to Carney's. He told me not to
inquire for directions any more than could
help. We had fed the horse at noon, but
don't know the name of the place. l left them
n Dexter village, and | think l went up and
then down hill and across long bridge to
pond. 1t was in the night, and the only
time was ever in Dexter. called and the
man got up and fed my horse. The woman
got me some supper. | paid them so cents.
The man was an oldish man, and the woman
was young woman. | think it was between
10 and IL o'clock at night. arrived at
Bingham in the forenoon, and fed the horses
at the hotel stable, but bought some crackers
and cheese for myself at the store. did not
book nv name. l pretended could not
write. l went to Carney's. got there that
night and staid there "a days. got letter
directed to Frank Snow from father, telling
me to come to Bingham. | paid Carney
81. .l5 and went to Bingham and met them
They were there when got there. None of
them had any disguise on. This was in the
afternoon. We fed the horse and left about
o'clock. We drove to Gardiner, stopping
only to bait the horse and eat lunch our
selves. We baited the horse once, | think,
in Skowhegan, at the Elm House. In the
forenoon, near noon, we went to Waterville.
We got there towards night, baited the horse
and stayed there about three hours. We ate
in a restaurant. | went to Boston on the
Star of the East. They went home with the
team. | was home eight or nine days when
they came. They tried keys to the door of
the building where the bank was at Water
vile. Father and Scot got out. Cromwell
STAYED in the wagon. 1t was between or 8
O'Clock in the morning. We tried one bunch
of keys, but none of them would fit. Father
came TO the wagon, opened valise and took
out another bunch of keys. Cromwell said !:
"Csn't you do snything?" Father said ::
''None of these will fit" He went back and
they tried the keys of the other bunch, but
none of them would fit. They came and cot
into the wagon and we drove on. left him
in the winter OF 1877. | did not see father
for nearly three years. / was in Thomaston.
When got out went home and staid about
turee weeks. alDSf was SICK week, ana t0en
he made a confession of a horrible crime He
had shock, and thought he was about
to die. The first words he spoke about the
murder we're: "Take him away Charlie, take
him away. l see him l see him Take Bar
ron away." I can see him just as he looked
then. He called on me continually to take
him away. He said he could see him all
the time before him. He was in this condi-
ton all night. No one was there but my sis
ter and myself. He would have no doctor.
The next day he told me to go down and get
the Bible, and he would confess all about the
killing of Barron. He made me take an oath
that | would never speak word of it. He
said the robbery was planned for Feb. %,
1S77-to rob both banks some time through
the day and night. He did not give me any
details about going or coming away, but he
gave me all the particulars of the murder
which weighed 90 heavily upon him. He
eaid Billy Scott kent watch while be and